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Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials

Witch-Hunt

Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trials

Salem, Massachusetts, 1692. In a plain meetinghouse a woman stands before her judges. The accusers, girls and young women, are fervent and overexcited. The accused is a poor, unpopular woman who had her first child before she was married. As the trial proceeds the girls begin to wail, tear their clothing, and scream that the woman is hurting them. Some of them expose wounds to the horrified onlookers, holding out the pins that have stabbed them -- pins that appeared as if by magic. Are they acting or are they really tormented by an unseen evil? Whatever the cause, the nightmare has begun: The witch trials will eventually claim twenty-five lives, shatter the community, and forever shape the American social conscience.

"A legitimate piece of original scholarship that is at the same time an interesting narrative."

– School Library Journal, starred review

"A gripping, sophisticated narrative that establishes the contemporary relevance of this oft-recounted tale. A brilliant appendix discussing the relationship of historical events to Arthur Miller's The Crucible will be of great interest to readers of all ages."

– Mary Beth Norton, author of In the Devil's Snare: The Salem Witchcraft Crisis of 1692

"A welcome book for young adults that would also serve regular adults much better than most books about the Salem witch trials. Beautifully written and accurate. Teachers should throw away other books they have been using for young adults and turn to this one."

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About the Author

Marc Aronson is the author of the critically acclaimed Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado, winner of the ALA’s first Robert L. Sibert Information Book Award for nonfiction and the Boston Globe-Horn Book Award. He has won the LMP Award for editing and has a Ph.D. in American history from NYU. He lives with his wife and son in Maplewood, New Jersey.